Elawin
Guru
This recipe is particularly good as an after-dinner drink, which was when port was often consumed, as well as chocolate. It’s worth serving it in small (espresso or small coffee) cups, as it is very rich.
Original recipe
John Nott, Cook’s Dictionary, 1726
Take a pint of sherry, or a pint and a half of red port, four ounces and a half of chocolate, six ounces of fine sugar, and half an ounce of white starch, or fine flour; mix, dissolve, and boil all these as before. But, if your chocolate be with sugar, take double the quantity of chocolate and half the quantity of sugar; and so in all.
Adapting the recipe for modern use
To make 4 small cups
· 128 g (4½ oz) dark chocolate, at least 80% cocoa solids
· 600 ml (1 pt) ruby port (or 500 ml sherry)
· 30/40 g (2-3 tbsp) caster sugar
· ½ oz rice or plain flour
1. Pour all of the port into a saucepan.
2. Break up the chocolate into small chunks and add to the saucepan.
3. Add the sugar to the saucepan. Alcohol goes bitter when you heat it, so you may need more to taste.
4. Whisk in the flour.
5. Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, until small bubbles form around the edge. Do not let it boil.
6. Whisk the chocolatey mix together.
7. Pour into cups or a chocolate pot of choice and enjoy warm.
Recipe notes
Remember that pints were old pints – 16 fluid ounces – and that chocolate usually came ready prepared in blocks. The best thing to use is the 100% cocoa chocolate sold in blocks as cooking chocolate. However, as the author says, if you can’t get that, adapt the sugar proportions – a bar of between 60-80% cocoa should require about half the amount of sugar mentioned here. Do not use milk chocolate! For the starch, rice flour is ideal, but plain flour will do.
The French were keen consumers of chocolate, often with milk rather than port, and is was a great favourite at breakfast – a position which is occupies still.
